THE more that you read, the more places you'll go, and those present at the Lifeline Central West Book Fair proved that they were book-reading pros.
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So much so, that the first Book Fair of 2023, which was held at the Bathurst Showground boasted 40,000 titles, and raised $58,000 for Lifeline - a vital service that provides 24 hour crisis support.
Entry into the Book Fair was a gold coin donation, and with that donation, attendees entered a world of their own, where they could dig through endless stacks of literary treasure- all for a good cause.
And, according to Lifeline Central West chief executive officer Stephanie Robinson, attendees love the two aspects of the Book Fair.
"It's two-fold, one is that they love reading and the other is that they love to support the work we do," she said.
This meant for a very steady flow of bibliophiles making their way to the Showground over the weekend.
"It was very, very consistent, and there were times when it was actually quite crowded in there, which is always really good to see," Ms Robinson said.
According to Ms Robinson, there were even people coming back multiple times a day, as the books were constantly being refreshed.
And, one of her favourite things about the event, was seeing people young and old searching for special stories.
One moment that she recalled, was that of a man who had supposedly been searching for a specific book for several years.
"He walked straight over to the section that it was in and found it and was so excited," she said.
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"And just the sheer number of children as well, that's a part that I really like to see, in an age of devices and so many digital things that there are just so many kids that are coming."
Though the final figures regarding funds raised for Lifeline are yet to be calculated, this money will go towards the training of crisis support officers, and other specialised training and crisis relief.
"It's a proper qualification, and we have to come up with the money and it's close to $5000 to get a volunteer through that accredited training," Ms Robinson said.
"And different community training ... and if there's some sort of crisis or concern in a region, we can then come in and do that support at no extra charge."
This event was just the first Book Fair of 2023, with more in the works for when the weather warms up.
Ms Robinson is hoping that the next event will be even bigger and better, and encouraged anybody with pre-loved books to donate them at the Bathurst facility.
Donations can be made via the Lifeline Central West office on 253 Howick St Bathurst.
The Book van is parked in the office car park and is unlocked Monday - Friday, 8.30am - 4.30pm to assist with contactless drop-off.
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